The Meaning of Conversion

Variations

Conversion can mean:

•     changing one material thing into another (chemical compound; a short story into a novel)

•     in religious affiliation: changing from Baptist to Catholic—or vice versa (not necessarily a true conversion, but one of practice or membership)

•     In terms of human psychology/spirituality: an interior change of one’s heart (from hatred to tolerance to love)

Another way to look at conversion

RCIA Inquirers haven’t yet made the decision to “convert” to Catholicism—and may decide not to.

So, let’s go back to the very essence of personal conversion, as we think it might be viewed from God’s perspective (always at the risk of being presumptuous)

[Distribute “You-Turn” diagram]

Made in God’s Image

In Genesis there are two accounts of the creation of the world and of the human race:

“God spoke: ‘Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature, so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle and, yes, the Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of the earth.’ God created human beings; God created them godlike, reflecting God’s nature. God created them male and female. God blessed them. ‘Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the earth! Take charge!’” (Genesis 1:27-28, The Message).

“God formed man out of the dirt of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life.  The Man [his proper name] came alive—a living soul! . . . . God put Man into a deep sleep. As Man slept, God removed on of his ribs and replaced it with flesh. God then used that rib taken from the Man to make Woman [her name] and presented her to the Man. The Man said, ‘Finally! Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh.”  (Genesis 2:7,  21-23, The Message).

•     Catholics do not take this story literally in its graphic detail, but what we do take literally is that God has made us—individually and as a race—in God’s own image.  What does that mean? Briefly, . . .

      è     God has shared with us a spiritual component to our being. This means we possess a part of our nature that will live forever.

      è     Like God we are capable of loving by choice, of searching for truth, of appreciating the beauty of nature and people around us. Like God, we crave the company of others (community). [Catholic belief is that in some unfathomable way God is a community of persons (Father, Son, and Spirit) who share the one divine nature.

The Shrinking Image of God

As we grow from childhood to adulthood, nearly all of us fail to preserve intact the godliness that was our birthright.

•     Genesis illustrates how infidelity to our godliness began with the very first humans.

•     So, to a greater of lesser degree, each one of us falls short. Most of us never truly become the fully alive person God created us to be.

God’s Call to Conversion — “You-Turn”

First, God calls us to conversion many times in our lives and in different ways—some great and some small. In fact, Catholics believe that every day God offers us an opportunity to change our hearts, to become better people, to grow closer to the godly image that God intended for us when we were conceived in our mothers’ wombs.

Whether it’s something great or some small change God asks of us, the call to conversion meets resistance. Sources of that resistance are:

•     The human condition or human nature’s own resistance to change, preference for the status quo.

•     The collective evil of mankind—the kind of evil we read about in the daily newspapers and that has been with the human race from the beginning.

•     Our own personal sins—all that we ourselves have added to collective evil of humanity.

•     Peer pressure—the gravity-like pull of companions who don’t want us to change for the better, because it might cause them to examine themselves.

The “You-Turn” can happen only if we can overcome the “drag” that would keep us from changing.

Our movement towards a closer resemblance to God—being made in God’s image and likeness—is not always a smooth one. Often, it is two steps forward, one step back (as indicated in the diagram).

Conclusions

1.   Whether you become Catholic or not, God will call you to make many “You-Turns” in the course of your life.

2.   Becoming a Catholic someday may be a major step in your growth toward reclaiming your status as being created in the image of God.

3.   Conversion is a lifelong process, ending only with the greatest “You-Turn” of them all—our death and entrance into heaven, our return to the God who made us in the image of divinity.

Reflection Questions on My “You-Turns”
 

Use the table below to record your reflections on your personal “You-Turns.”

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